HVAC Repair in Greenfield, MA
Homes here need heat from October through May and cooling from July through August. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Franklin County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of work, most of it in the cold
Your heating system runs from October through May here, then the air conditioner takes over for July and August. That's ten months a year one system or the other is working, with almost no rest between.
Winter nights average 17°F in Greenfield, and on those nights the furnace cycles on and off for hours to keep up. Each start puts wear on the igniter and the burner. A lot of homes here still heat with fuel oil, and an oil furnace that won't fire on a 17°F night leaves a house cold fast. Franklin County has also logged 59 winter storms and 275 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and when the power goes out, the furnace stops with it, oil or not.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 17°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 80°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to heat and the temperature is set above room temperature, and check the batteries if it uses them. If the thermostat looks right, check your breaker panel for a tripped breaker, since a furnace or air handler that loses power will not start. If you heat with fuel oil, check the tank level, since an empty tank will stop the burner cold. A pilot light that's gone out or an igniter that's failing will also keep a furnace from firing, and those need a contractor to look at.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the air filter first. A clogged filter blocks airflow across the coil, and the coil can ice over when that happens, so the system runs but the air coming out barely feels cool. Check that the outdoor unit isn't blocked by grass clippings, leaves, or anything piled against it, since it needs open airflow to move heat outside. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear, the system may be low on refrigerant, and that's not something to check yourself. It needs a contractor with gauges to find the leak and recharge it properly.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings and batteries first, since a wrong setting or dead batteries can look like a bigger problem than it is. Check your breaker panel for anything tripped. Check the air filter and replace it if it's dirty, since a blocked filter causes both heating and cooling problems. If you heat with fuel oil, check the tank level. Past that, most furnace and air conditioner problems come down to electrical or mechanical parts that need a licensed contractor to diagnose safely.